Locking device for stop-motions of knitting-machines.



v c. R. osmom, s. LOCKING DEVICE FOR STOPMOTIONS 0F KNITTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED APR-$8.191R

' Patented Deg. 10, 1918.

I WITIV ESSES fineness.

" all whom it may concern:

1 Be it known that I, CI'IARLES IRANoALL'Os: 'rno'M, Sn, a. citizen ofthe United States, and

a resident of Portsmouth, in the county of sfSc-ioto and State of ()hio,have invented certafinnew and useful Improvements in Locking Devlces forStop-Mot ons of knitting- Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

[My present invention relates generally to top motions for knlttingmachines and more particularly to certain apparatus in r'ionnection withstop motions for circular knitting machines whereby to support in set,locked or inactiveposition those actuating members not in use at anygiven time. In connection with purely mechanical stop fmo'tio'ns towhich the present invention re- "l'zrts, for instance What is known asthe 201 "Pete1'1t510,839, dated December 12, 1893, it 'isnsuel toprovide two ends for each feed on the knitting machine. "eiglmfeedknitting machine, "the stop me- Qraw'ford stop motion set forth in U. S.

Thus with an tion has a sixteen-end capacity and when the knittingmachine is running with s sin gle thread at each feed, it is obviousthat the stop motion has an actuating member at each feed to be takencare oi in some 1nanner in View of the fact that in machines oi thistype the yarn itself normally holds the stop member inactive. The usualmethod of taking care of those actuating members for which there is noyarn is by means of elastic bands or other supports of a detachabletemporary nature which become lost and which frequently break so thatclinging to the mechanism they frequently operate to prevent the otherand active members from properly functioning, thereby rendering the stopmotion inoperative.

As proposed by my invention the stop motion has a permanent fixture witha plurality of permanent pendent movable devices engageahlewith the stopmotion mechanism to hold in the set, locked or inactive position thoseactuating members which are, at least for the time being, out ofoperation by virtue of there being no thread or yarn to engagetherewith.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating my present invention Figure 1is a detail persnective view 0i: my

Specification 01 Letters Patent.

cnennns nemesis. osrsois, es, en ronrsreonrn, ems.

LOCKING DEVICE 30R STQP-TMOTIGNS 0F KNITTING'MACHINES.

Patented hes. in, ieis.

Application filed April 18, 1918. serial No. 2295517.

improved locking ring with its series or" pendent arms,

Fig. 2 is s verticsl section through a portion of a stop motion with myimprovements attached, taken substantially on the line .22 of Fig. t,

Fig. 3 is. a. vertical section taken snostmn tially on the line 3 3 ofFig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a portion of the mechanism.

Referring now to these figures I shown the spider casting or frame of a.Crawford stop motion at 10. with its radial arms 11, one'for eachthread, and with its cap plate 12. the grooves 13 of the latter of whichmay be utilized to also secure :1 pair of diametrically opposedoutstanding clips 14:, which as best seen in Fig. serve to hold thelocking ring 15 provided lay my invention.

This locking ring 15 is seated upon inner portions of the series of arms11 of the casting 10 and surrounds the cap plate 12 so that theplurality of pendent locking arms 16 will depend at the sides ofalternate arms 11 of the series. and thus take care of the set-natingmembers as presently described for which there may not at certain timesbe threads.

Each of the arms 11 has fork 7.7 at its outer end and e longitudinallyextending rock wire 18 along its under face. a hoot: 19. havingconnection with the inner portion of the rock wire. As well known, thethread of each arm of the stag moticm passes inwardly through the fork14 along the rock wire 18 and downwardly over the hook 19 between whatis known as the stools 20 depending from the arm 11 and an adjacentportion of the drop Wire 21, the position of the thread thus preventingthe drop wire from downward movement to stop the machine.

Each of the pendent locking arms 16' of the. locking ring 15 as providedby my invention is offset intermedieteits e .ds to provicle an angularportion which es best seen in 3 extends beneath the respective frame arm11 for engagement the hook 19. Each arm 16 is further provided with 3.second offset 23 below the offset and in a direction at right angles tothe offset 22 so as to bring its lower portion into a. vertical straightline, adapting the same to extend,

.the character between the staple 20 and a portion of the drop wire 21insubstantially the same manner as the thread usually does in normaloperation all as clearly seen by a comparison of Figs. 2 and 3.

It is obvious therefore that the several pendant locking arms of myimproved locking ring act to hold the desired drop wires, which I haveheretofore generically termed actuating members, in inactive positionknown as the set or racked position just as the thread is intended todo, and that these locking arms are capable of ready convenient movementto inactive positions, constitute permanent means in cOnnection with thestop motion to the desired end and obviate all danger of accidentaldisplacement and interference with other of the actuating members ordrop wires in their intended duties when a thread t'eed fails or athread breaks.

In supporting the series of arms 16 movably in connection with the ring15 it will be noted that the latter is provided at equidistantly spacedpoints therearound with annular grooves around and within which theupper inner ends of the several arms it are bent or curved so that whilemovable, they are prevented from displacement with respect to oneanother around the ring and thus held in position ready to be droppedinto engagement as in the position shown in Figs. 2 andB.

It will also be observed that the foregoing structure permits of foldingthe several pendant arms upwardly and inward! upon the cap 12 in disuseas seen in Fig. i, this being done when all sixteen threads are in use.so as to avoid any danger of interfering with the complete operation ofthe stop motion under these circumstances.

I claim l. The combination with a stop motion of described, including apluralitv of thread guides, each having an actuating member normallyengaged by the thread to support the actuating member in inactiveposition,ot' a support-securcd to the stop motion and a plurality oflocking arms carried by said support adjacent certain of the threadguides and movable into and out ot engagement with the actuating membersthereof for the purpose described.

2. The combination with a stop motion of the character described,including a plurality of thread guides and an actuating member at eachof the thread guides normally engaged by the thread to hold the saidmember in the set or inactive position, of a supporting member mountedon a part of the stop motion, and a plurality of locking memberspernnrnently connected to said support: and movable with respect theretointo and out of engagement wit 1 the actuating membel's at certain ofithe thread guides, for the purpose described.

3. The combination with the character described, rality of threadguides. each ha ving an actuating mcmber normally engaged by the threadpassing through the said guides, of a plurality of locking arms adiacentcertain oi the thread uidcs for engagement with the actuating membersthereof, and a common support for thb locking arms in connection a stopmotion of.

with the stop/[motion and with respect to] are movable, for the' whichthe said arms purpose described. V

4. A device otithc character described consisting,ot a supporting ringhaving a pluralitycot'movable pendant arms in spaced relationthertau-omid, each of which arms has its upper cm'L/l msclv bent aroundthe said ring and is provided with mediate. its ends t'or t} I icpurpose described. A (l(*\'l 'i* ot the character described,

consisting of a ring-shaped support having including a pin-- an oll'set.inter annular grooves at spaced points and a plurality ot pendantlocking arms, the upper ends of which are bent around the supportwithinthe said grooves to the arms to the support. (llAltlillS RA XDALLS'IROM, Sn. Witnesses:

(7. l). Doomxu, I). l). Mrrt'uun.

movably connect

